| October 06, 2006 | Friday | Ramazan 12, 1427 |
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Democracy or hegemony?
Islam and western media
Blocking of cellphones
Fighting terrorism at home
PM’s wedlock policy
Hyderabad havoc
Gas tariff fixation
Police excesses
Street crime strategy
Well done lawyers
What about Doctrove?
Might is right
Readers are requested to restrict their comments to a maximum of 400 words. We reserve the right to edit letters for reasons of clarity and space. Letters, including those by e-mail, should carry the complete postal address of the sender. The views expressed in these columns do not necessarily reflect the views of the newspaper.—Editor
ALMOST every now and then the Pakistani nation encounters a major social problem that needs to be resolved through a drastic process of reform by the government, though, unfortunately, the politico-religious parties would do their utmost to bring a so-called element of religion into it to frustrate the government’s good effort.
One fails to understand why there is so much of difference in interpretation of Islamic injunctions. After all, those sitting on the treasury benches are as much righteous and learned Muslims as are the opposition members. Although the government commands the majority in the National Assembly, yet the tiny MMA pressures the treasury to come to terms with it under the threat of street power.
What kind of democracy the religious parties want to practise in the country. The most recent issue on which the treasury and the MMA hold diagonally opposite religious opinions is the Women’s Protection Bill 2006.
Such wide differences of opinion on religious issues will be expressed perpetually whether it is a discussion within the premises of the assembly or outside on the streets so long there exists a difference of the style of social set-up of the interpreters of the religion.
The government members usually live in urban areas and are educated in institutions that teach modern subjects, usually wear western dresses, while in their domestic life there is regard and consideration for the feelings and rights of women who, too, are educated.
On the other hand, religious leaders hail from backward rural areas, receive zakat–funded madressah education where any reference to modern ways is considered a ‘gunah-i-kabeera (cardinal sin), where wearing of a shalwar-qameez etc is the only Islamic way of dressing up, in their homes women are treated like chattels. To a typical mindset, an unrelated woman is an object of sex while a female relative is an object of hatred. They would prefer to sit on the groung rather than use a chair and a table for their official chores.
Soon after the partition a number of refugees from India were rehabilitated on agricultural land left by the Hindus in my village, Tordher, 60km from Peshawar. The entire lot left the place to settle in Lahore and Karachi on the ground that they could not adjust themselves in the local rural society. How can then religious matters find similarity of interpretation between the urban modern lot and the dwellers of backward rural areas?
Modernisation of Pakistani society will remain shackled in inertia so long as the clash of societies exists. The only legal and just way to deal with any issue is to discuss it threadbare in the assembly: the decision to implement or reject the issue must be decided by the majority and not by claimants of a divine right.
SAYED GB SHAH BOKHARI
Peshawar
THIS is in reference to your Washington correspondent’s report entitled ‘New strategy proposed to replace UN’ (Oct 2).
The organ has all but been placed in situ to play in the requiem mass for the UN. This will not come as a surprise to many.
The strident drawing up of congressional battle lines which accompanied the astonishing appointment of John Bolton as the US envoy to the UN was a clear indication that the sharpened knives of the Bush administration were out to carve the international body according to their whim.
The alternative edifice being espoused by Mr Schultz and company can hardly be uninspired; indeed the protagonists of world hegemony need star-studded think-tanks to lend a helping hand.
A careful study of the present charter would clearly show that but for a few time-related changes — like holding the veto in the Security Council in operative in situations of emergency as the think-tank also recommends — the charter is robust, flexible and adaptable to encompass subjectively over-touted problems of size, administration and swift safeguarding of security.
What is really lacking is the sincerity of purpose and will to dispense un-contaminated justice, extend graciousness for the sake of all humanity and reach out for consensual selflessness.
Yes, this has never happened in the past; but then the stakes have never been so high. The charter cannot make a potion of these ingredients for the policymakers to drink. It can only show the way to sanity.
A slight miscalculation can envelop the world in an inferno. Let us hope and, of course, fervently pray that those given overwhelming composite power today will realise that the rather strong temptation to be arrogant can also become its nemesis.
M.J. ASAD
Karachi
ANIL Khan Luni in his letter ‘Islam in the eyes of western media’ has done a pretty good job of explaining the views of all us westerners towards the mixture of civil and Islamic law, violence as we know it, cutting off hands, heads, murders in the name of religion, and so on.
However, not all countries which are majority Muslim population are theocratic states, as is the case of Pakistan.
I think Mr Luni is mistaken on this one point. Many Muslim nations are ‘heavily influenced’ by Islam but not all Muslim population majority nations are theocracies.
Finally, many rough and tough actions in the guise of Islam are in fact not called for by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) nor the Holy Quran.
Men and mullahs have created their own often self-serving interpretations.
Finally, many people today in what we loosely refer to as the Islamic world wish for more democracy and what the West refers to as the separation of church and state, as Mr Luni correctly explains all westerner’s viewpoint on that topic.
On balance, his letter is a good and fair one. It just assumes a bit too much from this westerner’s viewpoint, and perhaps from the viewpoint of many aspiring young Muslims worldwide today.
As a final example, I can assure you that Muslims in the US while having 100 per cent freedom of religion are not allowed to have a theocratic state within the US, politically. They must and do live under a democratic system of governance which insists on separation of church and state, and always will so insist.
And, they are in the main doing very well as I have many Muslim faith US citizen friends, some naturalised citizens, some natural-born US citizens. While Christianity is a way of life for some of us who are Christians in the US, Christianity is not our national religion.
We will never have a national religion, only separation of church and state.
All religions which abide by the laws and Constitution of the United States are welcome here and otherwise free to practise their different faith systems.
COL (r) GEORGE L. SINGLETON
Birmingham, Alabama, USA
AFTER more than a decade when an uncounted number of cellphones have been snatched or stolen in the country and many people have lost their lives in the process of being robbed, the PTA has introduced the system whereby people can report theft or robbery as regards the cellphone by mentioning IMEI number to the relevant authorities.
The PTA, in collaboration with GSM mobile service providers, has launched this system, effective Sept 30, through which a person who is deprived of his or her cellphone can now lodge a complaint with the police, the PTA and the CPLC in order to block his or her cellphone.
In this connection, the PTA has published a half-page advertisement in local newspapers saying that in case of losing a cellphone a person can register his complaint with the police on 15, the PTA on 080025625 and the CPLC on 021-5682222 or on fax # 012-5683336.
By adopting this procedure the owners would be able to block their mobile phone sets. However, the PTA has not laid down any set rules for returning the recovered cellphones to their rightful owners.
In other words, the cellphone owners will have to forgo the initial amount which they have incurred at the time of purchasing a mobile phone set.
The PTA should devise such a policy that once a cellphone is either snatched or stolen, its owner should be able get back his or her cellphone in the shortest possible time.
The other option is that if a person buys a brand new cellphone, an insurance cover should be provided by the shopkeeper so that the owner of the new set at the time of lodging his complaint should be able to file his claim to the insurance company and recover the amount.
SYED A. MATEEN
Karachi
A MAN in Pennsylvania held up an Amish school and attempted to kill at least 10 females, students and teachers, execution style. Three girls died immediately, while two died later at night and the next day, and five are still in critical condition with little to no chance of survival.
The reason for this heinous act will never be unearthed as the man turned the gun on himself moments before police raided the building.
There were no evidentiary video tapes with the man standing with a gun in his hand and an American flag in the background explaining why he committed this crime, and there was no religious outburst while he shot these children and teachers to death.
The terrorist was an ordinary man, a milk truck driver, with no suspicious passport or background, and he was certainly not a target for homeland security. Therefore, is America looking in the wrong place for the wrong guys?
Since Littleton, Colorado and the Columbine shooting which took 15 lives, there have been close to 20 school shootings either done by other students or adults.
The shootings are not particular to any state: they have been widespread across the nation.
The American government is more concerned about fighting a ‘war on terror’ and keeping its public afraid of the outside world when, in fact, terrorism is growing within their society.
Xenophobia is spreading in America at a rapid rate and everyone is at risk, but not from Saddam, Osama, or Ahmadinejad.
The American government needs to turn to the real problems in their own society such as gun laws, sex offenders and paedophiles.
MANAL SHAKIR
Austin, Texas
MY sister was selected by the Pakistan Public Service Commission (PPSC) as lecturer in 2002 and posted at Government. College for Women, Chishtian, Bahalnagar district. She joined her service and started teaching until she got married and moved to Karachi in 2005. She temporarily took leave from her job as she never wanted to leave it. When she was settled down, she immediately applied for transfer on a wedlock basis and requested the education department to allow her to continue her job in Karachi.
The Punjab education secretary has refused her the issuance of an NOC because she was appointed on a contract basis. It is being said that inter-provincial transfers and deputations are applicable to the regular employees only. My sister is traumatised; she wants to resume her job in order to fulfil her passion and to share the economic responsibilities of her husband.
The applicable clause of the policy of wedlock backed by the prime minister in the continuation in service is not being allowed on the basis of other rules and regulations, which instead of solving the problem further exacerbate them. The PPSC, no doubt, conducts its competitive examination to induct the best teachers. My sister’s request for transfer is being met with bitter punishment for being appointed as a contract employee; this doesn’t make any sense.
It means that the department cannot provide a solution to its own selected lecturer. Is it her fault that she was appointed on a contract basis or got married out of the province? Why can she not be allowed to continue her job and be accommodated in Sindh (Karachi)? Should she start from scratch again? I appeal to the prime minister to please look into the matter and find some way out for my sister who is in a fix.
QURAT-UL-AIN MEMON
Lahore
THIS is with reference to Baais Abbasi’s letter (Sept 29), regarding the recent rain in Hyderabad and of course the presence of filthy water in the homes.
I spent my summer holidays in my beloved Hyderabad this year. During this time I got to witness different aspects of life in Hyderabad.
Of course it was the monsoon period; I was very delighted to see an improvement in the KESC’s service, as there weren’t major power breakdowns during the rains. And for this I believe the department deserves applause.
On the other hand, the devastation brought by the monsoon was enough to make me forget anything good.
On Aug14, which is an important day for every Pakistani, I saw teenagers causing traffic jams because they were celebrating our Independence Day. I desperately wanted to stop and ask them what exactly they were celebrating.
Was it the filthy water or the broken roads which will probably never be re-constructed? Perhaps it was the joblessness and poverty.
Since Allah has blessed us with our very own country, shouldn’t we all be taking good care of it?
FILZA G. SIDIQI
Waterford, Ireland
ACCORDING to a news item entitled ‘New formula to fix gas tariff’(Oct 3), the present formula for fixing gas tariff, which guarantees a return of 17 to 17.5 per cent on assets to the gas companies, is being replaced by a rate of return equivalent to six monthly Kibor (Karachi Inter-Bank Offer Rate) plus eight per cent.
Thus the tariff will fluctuate with the rate of interest at which banks lend and borrow money from each other. Both the existing and the proposed formula are cost-plus dispensations, which give no incentive to gas companies to economise on costs.
In fact, they encourage gas companies to be wasteful. Since the rate of return is relative to costs, the higher the costs, the higher the return earned by gas companies. This is grossly unfair to consumers.
The regulatory authority, Ogra, should instead fix a tariff for a period of say five years, after taking reasonable costs into account.
To cater for inflation, a percentage of the tariff can be made subject to indexation. The proposed rate of return also appears excessive and should be scaled down.
ASAF ALI SHAH
Lahore
ON returning home in the afternoon of Oct 3, I saw a truck in the middle of the road near the Quaid’s mausoleum , which had been blocked by a Corolla bearing a police number plate and a police mobile.
The truck had apparently cut off the police car, and as the officer in the car watched, the policemen from the mobile and the car driver dressed in plain clothes, pulled down the truck driver and started beating him up.
I would like to know who has given the police the right to physically assault someone over a minor traffic violation. Was he a murderer? An escaped convict?
Why do we still recruit illiterate people in the police, who have no manners, nor hope of ever learning any, especially in a city like Karachi.
If President Musharraf has finished counting his book royalties, maybe he can look into the matter.
CONCERNED CITIZEN
Karachi
ACCORDING to a news item (Oct 5), a meeting presided over by the prime minister discussed a strategic plan to check street crime in Karachi.
The plan seeks to identify the modus operandi of street urchins, as well as actual and potential criminals, and the interrogating of suspects.
How about a plan to identify the causes of street crime and developing a plan for eliminating them?
All plans to check crime, including traffic violations, have so far only increased the misery of Karachiites at the hands of the law-enforcement agencies.
ARIF HASAN
Karachi
SIALKOT police have registered a case against more than 35 lawyers for attacking and ransacking the court of civil judge Abdullah Siraj who convicted their fellow lawyer R K Salam of extorting ‘jagga tax’ from local industrialists. At an emergency meeting the District Bar Association has demanded immediate cancellation of the case.
Well done, lawyers. Well done for the jagga tax. Well done for ransacking the court that dared convict a lawyer. Well done DBA for providing benign protection to your members, no matter what they do.
Well done lawyers and continue your boycott of the courts. Show your unity to the world and render the judges jobless with no cases to hear.
Who cares about the poor suffering litigants who trudge from far-off places only to find the courts not functioning or those decaying in jail for want of bail which cannot be arranged due to the lawyers’ strike? That’s the kind of unity which the nation needs in all its ranks and files.
Incidentally, you being too familiar with the lacunae of the law should have no problem in teaching a lesson or two to the judge hearing your case.
Neither will you have to pay any exorbitant lawyers’ fees to fight your case. So, why ask for the withdrawal of the case? Face it and fight it out.
The entire lawyer community is behind you. That should be a lesson to any court of law.
COL (r) RIAZ JAFRI
Rawalpindi
WHEN the controversial decision was given against Pakistan for ball-tampering, Billy Doctrove was the second umpire alongside Darrell Hair at the Oval.
Since Billy did not object to Darrell Hair’s decision of penalising Pakistan, one would assume he was also in agreement. Why is it then there is no mention of Billy Doctrove’s role in any of your reports or the investigation? One would tend to think Billy was as much responsible for what happened as was Darrell Hair — or was he merely a spectator?
I think the ICC needs to investigate the conduct of both these umpires so that in future at least the two umpires discuss matters amongst themselves before making a decision.
USMAN AFZAL
Lahore
I REMEMBER one of my uncles (then serving in the Pakistan Air Force) telling me that, in spite of his passion for writing and contributing to newspapers, he cannot do so as it is not allowed in the forces until one retires.
Then how come Gen Muharraf, who is still serving in the military, has come out with his own book revealing all the state secrets and threats he received since taking office? I guess might is right.
Dr NABEEL GHAYUR
Hamilton, Canada
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